Power transmitting mechanism



E. SNYDER POWER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM June 18, 1935.

Filed June '13, 1930 2 Sheets-$heet 1 km E ww E 3 E 3 F N 1W NW 7 jvzmopBY M ATTORNEY June 18, 1935. E. SNYDER 2,005,510

POWER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM Filed Jun 1s,' 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MM.INVENTOR BY My): ATTORNEY Patented dime E8. 1935 UNHTEB STATES I meantPATENT. orFicE ?WER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM Application June 13, 1930,Serial No. 460,805

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This invention relates to power transmitting mechanism which may beused, for example, for winding a continuous strand of material such as awire upon a spool. It is an object of this invention to provide improvedpower transmitting mechanism suitable-for spooling a strand withsubstantially uniform tension. Other objects and advantages of theinvention will appear hereinafter.

A preferred illustrative embodiment of the inventionis shown in theaccompanying'drawings, in which:-

Fig. l is a plan view of'a spooling mechanism; portions being brokenaway to disclose the construction;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the cellular driving head of the spooler; and

Fig. 3 is an end view of the head of the driven member of the spooler.

In spooling strand material it often is desired to wind the strand undersubstantially uniform tension, and to maintain a substantially constantlinear winding speed for the strand. When the strand is wound on thespool in superposed layers, and forms thereon a coil of increasingdiameter, the increased winding diameter must be compensated for by avariation in the speed of the spool if the linear speed of the strand isto remain uniform, and by a variation in the torque applied to the spoolif the tension on the strand is to remain uniform. Desirably, apparatusof this nature will be operable at different speeds and adjustable as totension to accommodate strands of different size or strength.

Apparatus of this character is desirable, for example, in wire drawingmachines. In the usual practice in wire drawing machines the wire isdrawn through a series of dies by power driven capstans and is wound inoverlying layers on a power driven spool. The rate of travel of the wirethrough the machine is dependent upon the tension applied to the wire asit passes around the capstans and to the spool. If the tension exertedon the Wire by the spool canbe kept constant at the optimum value whichcauses the wire to be drawn through the machine at the most eificientspeed and. with a minimum of slippage on the capstans, the output of themachine will be uniform at or near its maximum value without impairingthe wire because of excessive friction or slippage between the wire andcapstans, and without stretching or breaking the wire.

Referring to the drawings, the spooling mechanism illustrated in Figs.1, 2 and 3 has a revolving spool 6 upon which the wire is to be wound.The spooling mechanism has a pair of alined bearings 8 and 9 spacedapart and conveniently supported as upon a base H). In the 5 bearing 8is supported a driving member consisting of a tubular drive-shaft llprovided at its outer end with a sheave l2 secured thereon which isactuated by a belt l3 whereby rotary motion in the bearing is impartedto the driving 10 member. Upon the inner end of the shaft H is secured acellular head preferably consisting of a disc M disposed concentricallywith respect to said shaft and having contiguous with its outerperimeter extending axially from its rear face an annular flange l5, andalso a series of radially disposed blades I6 equally spaced, each ofwhich extends axially from the disc M to the opposite edge of the flangel5. Thus, there is provided in the head an annular series of cells I'lseparated by said blades, closed at their rear ends by the flange l4 andopen at the forward end of the head.

The disc I4, if so desired, may have made in its inner face one or moreconcentric annular recesses l4 (Figs. 1 and 2) whereby passageways areprovided between the blades [6 and the disc l4 to permit air tocirculate therethrough between the cells I! of the cellular head. Also,the tubular drive-shaft is provided at its outer end with a removablestopper H by which the bore H" of the drive-shaft is closed. In thebearing Q is supported a driven memberconsisting of a spool shaft I8rotatably mounted in said bearing and having removably mounted axiallyupon its outer end a spool 6. Upon the inner end of said shaft I8 issecured a cylindrical head preferably consisting of a disc 20 having anannular flange 2| extending axially from the periphery thereof, and aseries 40 of radially disposed blades 22, each of which extends axiallyfrom the disc 20 to the plane of the opposite edge of the flange H. Theouter ends of the blades 22 preferably terminate at points spaced fromthe flange 2| so there are provided corresponding air passageways 2|between said blades and said flange.

The cellular head of the driving member and the cylindrical head of thedriven member are oppositely disposed, axially alined and spaced apartin close proximity to each other so that the open end of the cellularhead is exposed to the open end of the head of the driven member. Uponrotation of the driving member fluid, such as the air surrounding thecellular head, is

set in motion, and thereby the cylindrical head of the driven member isimpelled yieldingly in the same direction of rotation as the drivingmember.

The force with which the driven member is actuated by the cellular headthrough the medium of fluid moved thereby will be lessened to an extentbecause of the passageways provided by the annular recesses M whichpermit circulation of fluid between the cells I! as the cellular headrevolves. By removal of the stopper ll fluid may be admitted through thebore ll" of the drive-shaft ll into the cellular head whereby the forcewith which the" driven member is actuated is further reduced. I In someinstances, especially when spooling very fine Wire, it is desirable thatthe force applied to the driven member is such as will permit the drivenmember to lag when the tension applied to the wire occasioned by therotation of the spool reaches or approaches the maximum permissiblevalue.

It will be understood that the provision of the passageways between theblades I6 and the disc I4 to permit circulation of fluid between thecells [1, and also the provision for the admission of fluid through thedrive-shaft into the cellular head, are refinements that contributefacility by which delicacy in the operation of imparting movement fromthe driving member to the driven member is attained. The passageways 2|between the flange 2| on the head of the driven member and the outerends of the blades 22 thereof permit circulation of fluid from thespaces in said head between the blades, which diminishes theeffectiveness of the force that imparts movement to the driven member.This also is a refinement whereby the efiect of the moving fluid uponthe driven member through the action of the driving member is modified,which is beneficial especially in winding wire of fine grades. However,in some instances, the admission of fluid through the bore of thedriveshaft, the provision of the recesses M to permit the circulation offluid between the cells, and the provision of passageways 2| in thedriven member, or any of them, may be dispensed with, although it isdesirable that one or more of them be incorporated in the structure asneed thereof i; occasioned.

By means of the belt l3 and sheave 12, the driving member is rotated atsubstantially constant speed. The driven member upon which the spool 6is mounted is rotatably impelled by the fluid set in motion by thedriving member causing the wire to become wound upon the spool and apull to be exerted upon the wire to an extent limited by the torqueimparted to the driven member. The wire thus becomes correspondinglytightened about the capstans and is drawn by the spool from the wiredrawing apparatus at a rate of progress limited in extent by thevelocity'of the capstans and dependent upon the pull of the wireoccasioned by the torque of the spool.

The torque exerted upon the driven member through the medium of thefluid by the driving member is dependent upon the speed with which thedriving member rotates. By suitably alterin! the belt drive for thedriving memberso that the speed of the driving member is increased, thetorque imparted to the driven member and the pull exerted upon the wireby the spool are proportionately accentuated, and vice versa. Also, thetorque imparted to the driven member and the pull exerted upon the wireby the spool may be softened by enlarging the passageways between thecells I! of the cellular head, or the passageways 2! in the head of thedriven member, or by the admission of fluid through the bore of theshaft ll of the driving member, as is occasioned upon removalof thestopper H from the end of said drive-shaft.

A salient feature of the invention is the manner in which movement isyieldingly imparted from the driving member, to the driven member bywhich the spool is actuated, and whereby the speed of the driven memberis automatically lessened as the coil of wire accumulating upon thespool increases in diameter. Through the instrumentality of fluid set inmotion by the cellular head and applied to the head of the driven memberwhile substantially confined within and between said heads, a variabletorque driving connection is established between the driving and drivenmembers whereby the torque of the spool is increased as its speed isrestrained because of enlargement of the wire coil thereon, and thus thepull of the wire is sustained under substantially uniform tensionthroughout the winding operation.

While the invention has been illustrated and described with reference tocertain physical embodiments, it will be understood that the inventionis susceptible of various modifications and embodiments and is to belimited only by the claims.

I claim:

I. In apparatus of the class described, a base having spaced bearings; arotatable drive-shaft in one of said bearings having means for actuatingit; a rotatable driven shaft in the other of said bearings; a head onsaid drive-shaft closed at one end and open at its other end and havingan annular series of cells therein, there being fluid passageways in saiaffording commu- 'nication between said cells; and a cylindrical head onsaid driven shaft having radially disposed blades exposed to the openend of the head on said drive-shaft whereby said driven shaft isactuated by fluid set in motion and imparted to said blades by the headon said drive-shaft.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a driving member rotatablymounted including means for actuating it; and a driven member rotatablymounted adjacent one end of said driving member, said driving memberbeing provided with a cup-shaped head having an annular series of cellstherein that are exposed through one end of said head, said drivenmember having a cylindrical head closed at one end, its opposite endbeing open and exposed to the open ends of said cells and having aseries of radially disposed blades therein that; terminate at theirouter ends at points spaced from the outer wall thereof to provide airpassageways therebetween.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a driving member rotatablymounted including means for actuating it; and a driven member rotatablymounted adjacent said driving member, said driving member being closedat one end and open at its opposite end and having an annular series ofcells that are exposed through the open end of said head, there beingprovided air passageways connecting said cells at their inner ends, saiddriven member having a cylindrical head closed at one end, its oppositeend bein open and exposed to the open ends of said cells and having aseries of radially disposed blades therein.

4. The combination in ower transmitting mechanism of alined,independently rotatable driving and driven shafts, a cup-shaped headsecured on the inner end of said driving shaft, said head having aseries of radially disposed blades therein, a second cup-shaped headsecured on the inner end of said driven shaft. this second head alsohaving a series of radially disposed blades therein, the two heads beingmounted on the adjacent ends of the alined shafts with their open endsopposed in closely spaced relation with each other but otherwise open tothe atmosphere, so that air set in motion by the head on the drivingshaft yieldingly imparts rotary movement of the head on the drivenshaft.

5. The combination in a power transmitting mechanism of alined,independently rotatable driving and driven shafts, a cup-shaped headsecured on the inner end of said driving shaft, a series of radiallydisposed blades in said head forming an annular series of cells, apassageway between said cells adjacent the inner ends of the radiallydisposed blades, a second cup-shaped head secured on the inner end ofsaid driven shaft, a series of radially disposed blades in this secondhead forming an annular series of cells, a passageway between the lastmentioned cells adjacent the inner ends of the radially disposed blades,the two heads being mounted on the adjacent ends of the alined shaftswith their open ends opposed in closely spaced relation with each other,so that fluid set in motion by the head on the driving shaft yieldinglyimparts rotary movement to the head on the driven shaft.

EDWARD SNYDER.

